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Where did this Community, and the coolest group of people come from?

In a far away land there once was a silly phrase called Monkey Pickles that coincided with “Bananas” and after being used several times for witty humor in causal conversation with friends, family and colleagues in December of  2008.   One man trapped in a mental box working a corporate position and yearning for a new hobby or something fun to learn.  An idea began to form with this funny phrase of Monkey Pickles…

Then drifting through the land of the internet and finding a mental osasis at GoDaddy.com low and behold MonkeyPickles.com was available.  A thought turned into a new possible ball of fun.. “You know it would be fun to learn some graphics or web design.”  So that man purchased MonkeyPickles.com and heck maybe we should purchase a few other of these .net .org thing-ma jigs just in case some witty people decide they also like that phrase.

Did we know what were were going to do with it? nope didn’t even know the first thing about what a domain name even was.  Jan. 2009 went down in History…  Now what?  We probably should read some help tutorials and start figuring something out.  I don’t have the first clue what I’m going to do with what I just bought or what it even means Yet…..

I know lets buy a book 3 weeks later the Missing Manual HTML ..  the Story begins…  February of 2009 we burned through highlighters learned some new terms and still didn’t have clue what we were going to do but we were excited about learning a whole new world.

The sun was rising and cast a glow as he stepped onto the luxurious taxi and took a seat on the carousel deck next to Pheobe Buffay. Pheobe was stunning with pink and blue feathers and just as excited as he was about the trip. He mentioned he’d seen an owl on a tree limb of the oldest tree in his neighborhood. It was just before dawn and still very dark, but the owl’s eyes were bright as day. Pheobe told him the owl was a messenger and the spirit of the owl would guide him through his darkest moments. “Its spiritual nature will give you vision and direct you back to the right path,” she said, batting long pink lashes.

The taxi driver gave them a basket filled with all types of candy, and, for Monkey, a super-sized banana that was scrumptious. “It’s what chef uses for his banana soup,” he said. On the bottom of the basket was a little box. “Look, Pheobe!” A silver ring was inside the box …with the face of an owl! The driver gave him a knowing glance and served tall glasses filled with an exotic drink.

As they approached the island, the water turned so clear, Monkey could see down to the bottom. He helped Pheobe off the boat and they made a plan to have lunch together. A bell hop carried his bag up to the room, opened the gumball drapes and displayed a magnificent view. Monkey spotted three dolphins scooting in and out of the water. They really knew how to have fun, he thought, and quickly tugged on his swimsuit.

Monkey thought about the banana soup he was going to have at lunch. But, first he swam with the dolphins, holding onto their fins as they took him through the glittering coves surrounding the island. He dove down deep with them and was amazed that he was able to breathe underwater. Fan coral waved a friendly “hello” and rainbow fish swam around him. Back on land, he curled up in a banana hammock under the shade of a palm and took a nap. Dreams of Phoebe and banana soup crept into his subconscious. When he woke, he spotted the owl in the palm tree. Monkey touched the ring on his finger and felt its power. His path become very clear and after a long luxurious bath with spring water brought in from Austria, he put on a fluffy robe, and suddenly all his aches and pains were gone. Now, his stomach was growling fiercely and he couldn’t wait any longer for the soup.

The soup was better than he’d remembered and as soon as he finished his bowl, Monkey realized all his worries were silly and he focused on what really mattered in life. His family meant everything to him and thought maybe he’d ask Pheobe out on another date. Later, Monkey and Pheobe strolled along the beach. Soft music was playing and they held hands as the sky turned from a fiery tomato into colors of purple, pink and blue streamed across the sky like cotton candy. A pearly white horse galloped toward them and as it got closer, he realized it was a unicorn. Its horn striped red and green. “Can I offer you a ride?” the unicorn asked. They hopped on its back and took a magical tour of the island. Just before he went to bed, Monkey thought how perfect the day was and would always remember what Pheobe had said about the owl and its wisdom.

But even though it’s spelled similarly, don’t order the thing from the dessert menu in an authentic Italian restaurant that you think must be a ba-na-na – ananas. You will get a beautifully sliced hunk of fresh pineapple on a plate with a fork and maybe a sprig of mint. Delicious, but not funny. What’s funny is ordering a banana for dessert in an Italian restaurant to begin with. Who would do that? Tiramisu, heard of it? Anybody?

What do you call a banana that you talk into? A yellow microphone. Is this thing on?

Banana clips are funny too, but so is almost everything we wore in the eighties.

Of course the shape, of a banana is amusing in itself. Do you know how the banana got its shape? Story goes; bananas were once square and could fit neatly in your pocket. People removed the peel a strip at a time from top to bottom, eating the fragrant flesh something like a sandwich in a handy wrapper that kept their fingers (and their banana) clean. One day the great Lord Plantainia was rushing through the heavenly jungle, late for judging the annual coconut pie baking contest sponsored by the gods of the subtropical forest. He slipped on a discarded banana peel and fell flat on his face. His crown of woven vanilla pods flew into the jungle and he spent a full twenty minutes waiting for his servant to find it. By the time he arrived at the contest, all the pies were eaten and Lord Plantania cursed the square banana. Thinking it would shame the beloved fruit, he changed it into the form we know today. Unfortunately for Plantania the comical shape only made the fruit more popular and the term “Face Plantaina” was popularized. Also unfortunate – it would take many more centuries for the seriously convenient sandwich bag to be invented. That’s also why today we think of the plantain as the banana’s somewhat plain and humorless cousin.

But that story might not even be true.

Regardless of what hundreds of silent films and late night comedy sketches have taught us, the peel of a banana is no more slippery than that of an orange or tomato or even a wet leaf for that matter. However, there’s nothing funny about an orange (it refuses to rhyme with anything), tomatoes are what’s used to throw at people who are decidedly UNfunny and no one whose ever cleaned a gutter finds any humor in a wet leaf. No one.

As to its current shape; a bunch of bananas are called a hand so a single fruit is known as a finger, but we all know it looks like something else. If we really thought bananas looked like fingers then it would be hilarious to see a pretty woman on TV slowly peel one and wrap her lips around its end. A woman eating a finger, hilarious! Is she a cannibal? Is it a commercial for fingernail polish remover – what? But a woman eating a… well, that’s kind of funny too if you think about it.

So besides its name and its shape and its dubious use as a prop in slapstick comedy, what’s so funny about a banana?

Monkeys love bananas and monkeys are just about the funniest little mammals on earth. Maybe it’s all the B vitamins in bananas or the C or even the potassium that makes monkeys so cute when they swing around the jungle smiling and stripping the peel from a banana with their little opposable thumbs. Humans go bananas for monkeys, especially the babies. Monkey want a nana?

Sandwich of the Month: BLT

BLTs are a seasonal treat that tend to be eaten in the summer when tomatoes are ripening on the vine and crisp, cool lettuce is a welcome ingredient on a hot day. Although bacon, lettuce and tomato have existed for centuries, it is believed these three ingredients were not combined to make the first tasty BLT sandwich until around 1900. Appreciation for the BLT didn’t truly hit its stride until after World War II, when of the rapid expansion of supermarkets allowed fresh produce to be available year-round. Now, the BLT is one of the most popular sandwiches in the United States, second only to the ham sandwich.

The BLT is so popular, several record-breaking versions of the sandwich have been created in recent years. The current record was set in 2009 by Bentley Dining Services at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. The sandwich measured 209 feet 1 inch. That’s a lot of BLT!

The standard BLT is made up of five ingredients: bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and bread. The ratios of these ingredients are solely up to the individual consumer. The real flavorful secret is the balance of salty bacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomato. The heat of the bacon and cold of the vegetables also provides an enjoyable temperature and texture contrast.

First, let us discuss the B: Bacon. It’s the top banana, literally the meat of this particular subject. Therefore, the quality of the bacon is quite important. It should be dry-cured and sliced thick. In this monkey’s opinion, run-of-the-mill supermarket bacon is not going to cut it, even though some people go so far as to use (gasp) fake bacon. With that, the bacon’s texture after preparation is a matter of preference, whether you like it crispy, tender or rubber in the case of the facon.

On to the L: Lettuce. Iceberg is common. Bibb or Buttercrunch are tasty additions to a BLT. Some even prefer the bitter romaine. For the most part, it’s hard to go wrong with lettuce as long as it’s fresh and clean.

Bringing us to the T: Tomato. Some think the tomato is the most important part of the BLT. After all, it provides a great contrast to the saltiness of the bacon. For a great BLT, the tomato must be fleshy, with few seeds and a good flavor. Beefsteak tomatoes are perfect for these sandwiches.

Now for the first ingredient not listed in the name: Bread. It can be toasted or not, but more important is its texture. White bread is a classic choice, but whole wheat, sourdough or even thick-cut homemade bread works fine and tastes great. But don’t pick some kind of grainy, healthy, hippie bread. Don’t say we didn’t warn you

Mayonnaise can actually be a surprisingly controversial ingredient. Hellman’s has that classic mayo taste. Miracle Whip is the only way to go for some BLT lovers. Have some oil, egg yolks, lemon juice and paprika? We know some of you are serious enough to make your own. Some bacon lovers are so committed, the bread in their BLT goes naked.

Voila. As with many other simple foods, BLTs are subject to variations. Using different breads and versions of the basic ingredients are where it starts. Some people mix up their BLTs by adding in an extra layer of sliced meat, such as turkey or chicken. Some gourmet versions are even made with salmon or trout. In many restaurants, one could even order BLT versions of pasta dishes, soups, pizzas, burgers and more.

Sometimes, though, all one needs is a good classic BLT. Perhaps it could be jazzed up with a little sprinkle of salt and pepper on the tomatoes. Pour a glass of milk or lemonade and enjoy your sandwich.

Which ingredient in a BLT is the most important: the bacon, lettuce, tomato, bread or mayonnaise?

Top 10 Excuses for Not Having Your Homework (Work-Work) Done

Whether we’re school-aged, middle-aged or just aged, we all have responsibilities. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the time to accomplish them. It is at those moments, we need an excuse to give to the people who have expectations of us. Here are 10 surefire excuses for why you haven’t finished your work that are guaranteed to be accepted by your teachers, professors or bosses.

10. “I was busy making tinfoil hats and duct taping my windows shut.”

9. “I was kidnapped by terrorists. They released me just moments ago, so I didn’t have time to finish it.”

8. “My dog ate it. But you can still make out some of my figures in this stool sample.”

7. “I have my work finished. It’s all done in my head. What, was I supposed to write it down?”

6. “My printer broke, then my disk became corrupted. Unfortunately, my computer crashed and the power went out, also. Do transformers explode everyday? Because that happened, too.”
5. “I didn’t want to add to your heavy workload. Really, you should be thanking me, look at all the time you have to work on other things!”

4. “My doctor told me to take it easy because all this work is making me tired. You wouldn’t want me to jeopardize my health, right?

3. “My grandpa/step-dad/second-cousin/best friend/dog fell into a chipper shredder and I had to identify the body. I’ll need some time off for the funeral, too.”

2. “Last night, I was busy saving the world from the evil supervillain known as Electro-Lex Magneto-Joker. If you’ve never heard of him, it is because I defeated him! You’re welcome, by the way.”

1. “You mean I’m supposed to do it every day?! Sheesh, how does anyone ever get anything done around here?”

What excuses for not having your work or homework done would you add to this list?

Get excited for whats to come…  We hope to blow the doors of this bamboo hut with a banana grenade and army of Monkey Picklers.

The current site was a great transitional site and we learned alot of things like…………..

We  learned —> Even toyed with some new features and content pieces like Monkey Pickler of the Month, Quotes of Monkey Picklers,  Goofball Gear, Sponsoring local talent, and Planning of Monkey Pickles live meetups to hang out with a bunch of other like minded fellows for a cup of coffee

We  learned —> Talked with some of the community members and seen if members would like to post articles of their own to the main site. That was a learning curve for us seeing what it would look like on the back end of the website.

We learned —> Alot about programming such features of web user accounts, logins, building social network features, mass image resources, friend requests, using 3rd party applications, and user roles.

We learned —>  How to start to raise a bunch of capital resources through consulting work of online marketing – social media for other brands businesses, and organizations

Summary —>  We have truly been grateful for about 18,000 strong across 4 networks that enjoys the whole Monkey Pickles fun, humor, randomness and our lovely Monkey.  We look forward to bringing you the best we got in 2011 hang in there for the wild ride

So just a heads up that the current site will be going down in the next few weeks temporarily as we secretly prepare a special banana bread for all to share.

Connect with us @ Facebook – Twitter – Formspring – Foursquare

Some kid you definitely would like to squish.. Joe Cartoon is a classic and should most be read when drunk. It was the first on the scene that caused viral madness with funny cartoons and flash based interaction. Its always good to go and waste some time at Joe Cartoon Joe Cartoon use to be hosted on its own website but the owner has sorta taken a leave of absence from the whole series. heck it was founded in 1998 !! But the world still thanks them for bringing the crazy.

The Count Froo-Froo Du Faa Flaa told himself he should have known better. Since he became principal at Low-down High Middle School he had strived to bring culture to Parirsish, Monkisota. The final year students were behind in the sciences & if this did not come off they would fail the subject but his faith in combining the outstanding practical coursework with homecoming was shaken.

The Human Hamster Ball was not going well. There was the height difference for a start and a day was beginning to seem too long for a dance. He watched the small figures totter & wobble across the sports hall floor. Were they drunk ? Tired ? Had they been rolling around in the hamster balls too long ? And the hamsters looked a little drunk too.

Drunk Hamsters

Hamsters where notoriously skittish an often had a sly tipple to calm their nerves. They had rather overindulged after scattering in panic halfway through ” ham sandwiches ” as Froo-Froo was announcing what was available to eat at the buffet.

Once the confusion had calmed down another oversight regarding the buffet became apparent as the hamsters stuck rigidly to the ” 1 food item of each kind on your plate ” rule but stored several more in their cheeks. … as did Joseph Botnosh … but he had a sexually unhealthy mind.

What else could go wrong ?
” You boy! Put that dodgeball away. Sally, I warned you not to bring your cat. Joseph! Don’t kiss the rodents! A nice girl will pick you one day ….. from a police line up.”, Froo-Froo added under his breath. That boy was not going to turn out well. Certainly that step dad of his, Dickie Gear, was rumoured to be into some strange fetishes … not least of which was being part of a flight of stairs one night a week.

What was that now ???
There was some goofy looking giraffe gazing through the bay windows. It seemed in a trance. Transfixed by the giant ornamental hamster wheel centre piece … as if the big wheel reminded it of lost glories & happier times.
” What are you doing here beast ? ” bellowed Froo-Froo waving his arms at it. ” Shoo ! Shoo ! ”
With a quick glance behind it, to Froo-Froo’s satisfaction, the startled giraffe scampered off … mere moments before Froo-Froo’s eyes widened & he dived neatly to his left as a giant hamster ball crashed through the bay windows scattering rodents & students alike. One hamster was catapulted in to Joseph’s back. Ouch…. that was going to take some effort … & a lot of soap to rect-ify.

Froo-Froo watched in amazement as the ball rolled a halt against the opposite wall. A hazy figure inside the translucent sphere righted itself, unscrewed the hatch & exited with a somersault to land in front of Froo-Froo. Froo-Froo was secretly impressive … not as much as if the figure had’t landed on it’s ass … but quite impressed.
It was some kind of large monkey thing.

” My goodness man! Who are you ? ” spluttered Froo-Froo dusting himself off & taking a better look at the monkey man.

” What the heck happened to your head ?? Did a bee sting it ? ”

” I am Hintz ” the creature beamed in a blissful unsettlingly disconnected way.  ” I like duct tape.”

” ? ” …………. ” And what are you  doing with that Big Red Wiffle Ball Bat ? ”

” AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!! ”

* DOINK *